The forest was silent again.
Only the smell of burnt poison and roasted meat drifted through the cold night air.
Elarion sat by the fire. His mask covered everything from his nose up.
Only the lower part of his face was visible—pale skin, perfectly shaped lips, naturally red as if painted with crushed cherries.
Leoriness sat across from him, unable to stop glancing at that mouth. Quiet thoughts twisted in her mind.
She'd seen men—nobles, warriors—in the corner of her fragmented memories, but ...none like this. His manner wasn't loud or forceful. It was restraint. Precision.
Even now, after killing that B-class monster as if it were nothing, he wasn't boasting. He simply sat quietly, tending to the food. The steel mask on his face caught the firelight in silver lines.
And the way he treated her—
Leoriness lowered her gaze slightly.
Earlier that night, he hadn't assumed they'd share a tent. He hadn't even asked. Instead, without a word, he'd created a separate shelter for her.
Neatly set. Positioned with guards in mind. Even though there were no soldiers around, Elarion had marked out areas around the camp, positioning items and stones in a way that anyone approaching would trigger subtle signals.
Without saying anything, he simply... ensured her comfort.
Leoriness was now sitting in the tent made by Leaves and branches from trees nearby and Elarion outside cooked food in pot he brough out from nowhere.
Leoriness knew her own nature. Obsessive. Possessive. From the moment she'd first met Elarion, those instincts had stirred.
But the way he respected her distance only fed the flames deeper.
If he'd forced attention on her, she would have dismissed it easily.
But now? Now, she couldn't help but think:
"Why is he like that? Why is he so careful... even though he's so strong?"
Her eyes dropped again to that visible part of his mouth.
It didn't help.
---
Flashback a Few Hours Earlier:
The Battle
The forest tore apart under the monster's roar.
Leoriness had seen many powerful warriors. None like him. Elarion moved between the basilisk's legs like a black wind, his sword carving arcs so clean the air almost seemed to follow it.
He didn't rely on flashy powers. His telekinesis wasn't active.
Leoriness could sense it—he was holding back.
When the monster finally collapsed, head severed from its body, there wasn't even a drop of blood on Elarion's clothes.
Even the owl that had been silently watching from the trees flew away in quiet approval.
---
Back to Present:
Leoriness's asked Elarion by signs asking... Why ? Why wear the mask, always??
Elarion didn't speak right away. He simply stirred teh meat in the pot once more. Then, calm as ever:
"It helps me focus."
His voice, low and steady, seemed to wrap around her skin.
Leoriness clenched her hands lightly in her lap, her mind repeating his words.
"Helps me focus... That's the kind of person he is."
But she wanted to see more. Not just the lower part of his face. She wanted to see everything. Wanted to know how he thought. How he saw her.
The fire crackled.
Elarion glanced toward the sky once. Quietly.
And there, it ended—
A still moment, right before whatever words Leoriness would ask next.
---
Her gaze dropped again to his mouth. Those calm lips, quietly moving as he breathed out slow, steady air.
Leoriness clenched her hands tighter. Something stirred deeper inside her—sharp and hot, like a flame she couldn't put out.
It wasn't just admiration. It wasn't gratitude. It was deeper. It was need.
She didn't want anyone else to see him like this. That quiet side. That hidden strength behind the mask.
—She wanted to be the only one beside him.
And she would be. Whatever it took.
The fire crackled between them as Elarion turned his head slightly toward her, sensing her stare. His voice, low as ever, broke the silence:
"You keep looking at me."
Leoriness's lips parted slightly. But this time, she couldn't bring herself to answer.
Because she didn't know what she would say—if it would be something ordinary...
Or something far too dangerous to speak out loud.
But the fact she couldn't speak helped her get out of the situation.
------
Elarion placed the cooked meat on a flat stone near the fire, steam rising in pale curls. The scent of herbs filled the air—calm, simple.
Leoriness sat across from him, silent as always. Her fingers twitched slightly in the air, a habit she couldn't quite suppress.
He didn't say anything. He just slid the plate toward her, quietly watching.
Leoriness looked down at it, then up at his uncovered mouth. For a brief moment, she traced the curve of his lower lip before forcing herself to focus.
Slowly, she picked up the food, biting in. Her expression didn't change much at first.
But after a few seconds, she set the meat down again—not because it was bad, but because it wasn't. It was better than anything she'd expected in this kind of place.
Her eyes softened. Then, without words, she raised her hands: one palm facing him, the other tapping against her chest lightly twice.
Elarion understood enough sign language to know. It meant: "Thank you."
He didn't smile. But his gaze lingered on her hands for a moment longer than usual.
Leoriness lowered her hands again, holding onto the plate quietly, eating in small, careful bites—watching him from the corner of her eye the entire time.
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